Meghan Markle finally launched her highly-anticipated lifestyle brand, As Ever, weeks after the release of her Netflix show.
However, it’s been revealed that Netflix staff faced logistical issues before the launch, calling it a “nightmare.”
Despite the drama, Meghan Markle’s product lineup, including jams, teas, and baked goods, reportedly sold out within 30 minutes.
Meghan finally unveiled her lifestyle brand, As Ever, on Wednesday, sharing promotional videos of her products on social media.
However, behind the scenes, Netflix employees working on the project are reportedly frustrated over the challenges surrounding its launch.
Despite the Duchess of Sussex’s excitement, insiders describe the rollout as a “logistical nightmare.”
“There is so much drama surrounding them once again that internally the team are over it before it’s even launched,” a source told Daily Mail. “It’s been a logistical nightmare and the buying team are having an issue as they can’t work out what the demand will be, if any.”
Adding to the marketing push, Meghan has reportedly enlisted her high-profile friends to “plaster social media” with endorsements of As Ever.
“People will be posting their jars of jam — they’ve seeded it to lots of influencers to get it out there and to plaster social media with ‘good vibes’ on launch,” the insider added.
Meghan’s decision to scrap her brand’s original name, American Riviera Orchard, at the last minute reportedly caused major logistical headaches for her team.
According to insiders, the former royal also had staff sign strict NDAs to prevent leaks about where As Ever’s products are made.
However, despite the behind-the-scenes struggles, Meghan remained optimistic about her collaboration with Netflix, calling it the “perfect match.”
“Frankly, I was building out a very different business plan at the outset,” she told Inc. “The reach from Netflix, coupled with my vision for the brand, felt like it was going to be a really perfect match.”
Josh Simon, Netflix’s VP of Consumer Products, echoed the enthusiasm, stating that the streamer was eager to align with As Ever.